To lift weights at home, first you need the weights. That’s simple enough—if you’re into barbell lifts, just buy a barbell set.

But your next problem is figuring out how you squat. Squatting typically involves a squat rack, and that’s a luxury many home gymmers don’t have. THat doesn't mean you have to forgo squatting altogether though. Let’s look at your options. 

Bumper Plate Olympic Weight Plate High Bounce Bumper Weight Plate with Steel Insert Strength Training Weight Lifting Plate

$399.99

Shop Now

Shop Now

$399.99

Before I get into it, note that none of the options I'll be discussing include safeties, which a real squat rack would have. That’s okay, because they all assume that you are either working with light enough weights that you won’t fail your lift, or that you know how to bail out by dumping the weight if you can’t complete the rep. This is a learnable skill, and it won’t damage your equipment if you use bumper plates—keep that in mind if you’re living the no-rack life.

Get squat stands instead of a rack

A solid squat rack is an investment, so I understand not wanting to splurge on one right away. (Heck, my own pandemic home gym went without a squat rack for about a year—not because I decided against one, but because it didn’t occur to me that a squat rack might be affordable or feasible in my small garage.) 

The truth is, supports for squatting aren’t nearly as expensive as you might think. You can order a pair of lightweight but strong squat stands like these for $50 to $60, or make your own out of concrete and 2x4s. I've gone on the record saying a good squat rack is worth the investment, but I also believe that makeshift stands like these are an excellent stopgap if you aren’t ready to take that step. 

Roll over image to zoom in F2C Max Load 550Lbs Pair of Adjustable 40"-66" Squat Rack Sturdy Steel Squat Barbell Free Bench Press Stands GYM/Home Gym Portable Dumbbell Racks Stands (one pair/two pcs)

$58.99

$92.99 Save $34.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$58.99

$92.99 Save $34.00

Pros: Cheap, lightweight, can move out of the way for storage. The only limit to the amount of weight you can squat this way is the limit of the equipment

Cons: Not free. You also don’t get to learn any strange new skills, like the options below.

Clean the weight and do front squats

Olympic lifters and Crossfitters will probably be most comfortable with this option: Instead of squatting with the bar on your back, clean the bar into a front rack position. That means you grab it while it’s on the ground, launch it upwards, and catch it on your shoulders, just in front of your neck.

The ending position of a clean is the same as the starting position for front squats, so you can then do as many reps of front squats as you like. 

The main problem with this approach is that if you aren’t a weightlifter or Crossfitter, you probably aren’t very good at cleans. It takes time, practice, and ideally some good coaching to get efficient enough at cleans to be able to handle a realistic weight for front squats. If you’re committed to lifting without a squat rack, this is a skill worth learning. Otherwise, you might want to check out the other options.

Pros: Easy if you know how to do it. Lets you make the most of a small amount of weight (front squats are harder than back squats at the same weight).

Cons: Requires you to be pretty good at cleans. Also, this doesn’t give you a way to do heavy back squats.

Zercher squats

The zercher is often seen as esoteric—an odd lift only done by odd people. But it’s actually a solid option for squats, whether or not you have a rack available. Sometimes called a “low bar front squat,” it lets you go a lot heavier than a regular front squat, but you don’t need to know how to clean a barbell to get the weight into position. 

How to do zercher squats: 

1. Stand in front of the bar with your feet wider than your arms (same idea as a sumo deadlift, but you don’t have to get as wide as sumo deadlifters do). 

2. Deadlift the bar.

3. Bend your knees so that you’re in a squatting position, and set the bar down into your lap. 

4. One at a time, slip each arm between your legs and under the bar. 

5. Now that the bar is in the crooks of your elbows, stand up. You’ve completed your first rep.

6. For subsequent reps, just bend and straighten your knees as you would in a normal squat. (No need to return the bar to the ground each rep, although you can if you want.) 

If your first thought is “ow, that would hurt my elbows,” well, you’re right—at first. Turns out the elbows adapt; people who zercher squat regularly find that it’s not really a problem. You can always wrap the bar in a towel or barbell pad, or wear elbow sleeves for extra cushioning. If I haven’t zerchered in a while, I’ll sometimes wear a sweatshirt and slip my knee sleeves over my elbows. Anyway, you get used to it. 

Pros: Free. No special skills required. Heavy weights are possible. You get to do a deadlift with every set. 

Cons: Elbows might hurt. You have to do a deadlift with every set.

Steinborn squats

Alright, now this one is an odd lift for odd people. You could become one of those people, though. 

To do tit, you’ll need a clear space around you, non-slip flooring, and just enough bravery and stupidity to think “sure, what the hell, I probably won’t die.” (It will not surprise readers to hear that I check all three boxes, and thus have gone on to set a national record in my weight class in this lift.) 

View this post on Instagram

To be fair, it’s not as dangerous as it looks. You do need a little bit of practice to know how to stabilize the bar and center yourself underneath it, but I found it easier to learn than the Olympic clean discussed above. Would this be my first pick for somebody who wants to squat and doesn’t have a squat rack? No. But is it a viable option for a person who thinks it’s cool? Absolutely.

Pros: Free. Heavy weights are possible. Impress your friends, scare your neighbors.

Cons: Requires plenty of space and nerves of steel. Scares your neighbors.

Squat alternatives I don’t recommend

The following things are not replacements for barbell squats, in my opinion: 

• Barbell hack lifts are behind-the-back deadlifts. They involve the quads a little more than a regular deadlift, but they’re not squats.

• Trap bar deadlifts, ditto. Great as a deadlift variation, but not a squat.

• Goblet squats. These are a fine exercise, but if you’re strong enough to do barbell squats, goblets probably aren’t going to cut it as a main lift. 

• Lifting the bar over your head and onto your back: If you can do this, the weight is too light for a heavy set of squats. 

Not-quite-squat options that are still great

The following are exercises that aren’t the same as normal barbell squats, but they’ll still build strong legs and are worth considering as you explore your options. 

• Bulgarian split squats: these can be done with lighter weights than regular squats, so dumbbells or a relatively light barbell can do the job.

• Leg press machines, any kind (I’m including the hack squat machine here). If your gym has a leg press but no squat rack, these would be my first pick for a squat replacement.

• Pistol squats: I find these to be too hard on the knees to fully replace squats, but they’ll certainly give your legs a serious challenge. 

• Lunges and step-ups: This type of single leg work is always challenging to the quads, and doesn’t require as much weight as two-legged squats.

I’d also like to give an honorable mention to Arthur lifts. This is where you hack lift the bar until you can get it onto your lower back, then bounce it up to your shoulders. From there, you can squat it normally. Honestly, this only didn’t make the main list because I don’t personally like it. I consider it more painful than a Zercher and scarier than a Steinborn. But if you are intrepid enough to try it, knock yourself out. 

When it comes to soothing sore muscles, I have two go-tos: heat, and massage. I’ve always had to enjoy those things separately, though. For a quick and easy "massage," a foam roller does the trick; and for heat, I use a heat pad or, on my way to and from the gym, the heated seats in my car. But now there’s a product that combines them, and it’s genius: the HotRock heated roller. 

HotRock Ultra-Heated High-Density Foam Roller Quick Heating Muscle Recovery Sport Roller Deep Tissue Massage with Customizable Temperature for Body and Muscles

$164.02

Get Deal

Get Deal

$164.02

What is the HotRock?

Technically it’s not a “foam” roller, because it’s not made of foam. It’s a hard plastic cylinder, hollow inside, that plugs into the wall. One end has a little screen (to display the temperature) and four buttons to turn it on and control it. The other end has a door, inside which you’ll find the attached power cord.

So, yes, you need a wall outlet to use this thing. (Sort of. More on that in a minute.) It’s the size of a pretty standard mini foam roller, a little under 13 inches long. The heated area, supplied by wires that wrap around it underneath the cover, is about the middle 6 inches of the roller. If you’re hoping to warm up a wide area, say your upper back, you’ll need to make multiple passes.

The outside of the roller is encased in faux leather (“marine-grade vinyl,” they call it) and it’s allegedly removable—although it seems to be a pretty tight fit. Dirt and debris wipe off, so you don’t need to remove the sleeve for cleaning. 

How to use the HotRock heated roller

Credit: Beth Skwarecki

HotRock sent me a roller to test. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, I opened the little door, pulled out the power cord, and plugged it into the wall. The HotRock came with a drawstring bag that’s supposed to hold heat in while it’s warming up, so I used that as instructed. 

Here’s the basic procedure: 

1. Plug the cord (found inside the little door) into a wall outlet.

2. Press the power button to turn on the LCD screen.

3. Select the temperature (between 125 and 175 degrees, in 10-degree increments).

4. If you want to use it for more than 30 minutes, press the timer button and use the up and down arrows to set the time (up to 180 minutes).

5. Optionally, slip the drawstring bag around it while it warms up.

6. When the roller is up to temperature, take it out of the bag. You can use it while it’s still plugged in. 

How long does it take the HotRock to heat up?

The HotRock is advertised as heating to 175 degrees in just five minutes, but I found it took a bit longer—around eight minutes with the drawstring bag. (The company says that it will feel like it’s up to temperature a few minutes before the internal sensor reports the same number.) 

If you want a lower temperature, it will get there more quickly. I found it got to 130 degrees in about three minutes. 

How hot should I set the HotRock?

The top setting of 175 was great for rolling my back through layers of clothes, but that was definitely too hot to be comfortable on bare skin. I found the lowest setting of 125 to be perfect to roll a bare leg. 

There are other heated massage tools out there, like this microwaveable MojiHeat, but they don’t get as hot—MojiHeat gets up to 140 degrees for 30 minutes. If you want the higher settings or the longer time, the HotRock is a better option—but it’s nearly double the price, and you have to deal with the power cord.

Is the power cord a problem? 

You would think the cord would get twisted or tangled if you use the roller while it’s plugged in, but I didn’t find that to be a problem. Usually you’re rolling it back and forth in a small area, and the cord has enough room to move to withstand that just fine. The cord is also long enough that I didn't feel tethered to the wall; nine feet is plenty.

Conveniently, the roller is big enough on the inside that you don't have to wrap or fold the cord carefully. Just stuff it in, it'll be fine.

But since not every location has a wall outlet within nine feet, I wondered if it was possible to use the HotRock after unplugging it. I heated it up to 175, then put the cord away and started a stopwatch. The roller maintained a nice level of heat for several minutes, and around five minutes it was pleasantly warm but no longer anything I’d describe as “hot.” That would be enough for a quick warmup session, if you don’t have access to a wall outlet in the place where you do your foam rolling.

Are there any health benefits to the HotRock? 

It’s really just another massage tool, so the benefits are “it feels good.” The evidence on massage for recovery and health is mixed; some sources find it helps recovery or aids in mobility. Most experts would say to use heat and/or massage if they feel good to you. 

My only real complaint about this type of device is that when I’m in the mood for heat on a muscle (ahh, relaxing), I’m usually not in the mood to get on the floor and move around, maintaining appropriate pressure on the body part I’m rolling (so much work!). But I know that some of you love your foam rollers, so this might be a welcome addition.

The HotRock website has testimonials from athletes, and honestly the one I found most compelling was the Crossfit coach who gets to the gym before 5 in the morning, and it’s so cold in the winter. She turns on the building heat, makes herself a coffee, and does a rolling session with her heated foam roller. That sounds heavenly.

Pros and cons of the HotRock

Pros

• Combines heat and self-massage

• Cord stows away easily in the center of the roller

• Adjustable heat up to 175 degrees F

• Auto-shutoff timer

Cons

• No beep to let you know when it’s up to temperature

• Need to be near an outlet to use it

• Pricey compared to microwaveable rollers

Specs

• Temperature settings: 135, 145, 155, 165, 175 degrees

• Timer settings: 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 minutes

• Length of roller: 12.75”

• Diameter of roller: 5.5”

• Length of power cord: 9 feet

Neoprene is made from toxic chemicals, hard to recycle and, with 400,000 tonnes made a year, a growing problem. So can surfers and swimmers find green wetsuits?

I have been hesitating for months. The wetsuit I swim in every week to keep me toasty warm in the winter and safe from jellyfish stings in the summer is riddled with holes. Yet I can’t bring myself to buy a new one because I’ve learned that comfortable, flexible and insulating neoprene is manufactured using some of the most toxic chemicals on the planet.

Neoprene, a synthetic foamed rubber, is made from the petrochemical compound chloroprene. Exposure to chloroprene emissions, produced during the manufacturing process, may increase the risk of cancer, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Not everybody has the same reaction to noticing a new muscle pop up on their body. Some love it: “Great, I’m getting jacked!” Some are discouraged: “Oh no, I’m getting bulky.” But everyone should know that building muscle has its benefits, beyond looks and in spite of looks.

Here are seven ways your newfound muscle is a big plus, both for your health and your fitness goals.

Strength and muscle size go together

We’ve all met people who are stronger than they look, and vice versa. This has led to a myth that there are different “kinds” of muscle or strength, as if bodybuilders’ muscles are full of water or fat instead of contractile tissue. (I’m not sure exactly where this myth comes from, but it’s absolutely not true. Muscle is muscle.) 

Think of it this way: The bigger the muscle, the harder it can contract. But what you do with that muscle is a matter of skill. Gymnasts are strong, but not every strong person can do a backflip. Boxers are strong, but not every strong person will be able to deliver a knockout punch. 

If you train to build muscle size, you will end up increasing your strength. And if you train to build strength, chances are you will end up increasing your muscle size. That doesn’t mean you have to become huge if you don’t want to be; your diet is the main thing that determines whether you look “bulky” or not. But it's reasonable to expect at least a little bit of muscle gain anytime you're challenging your body to get stronger and fitter.

Muscle burns more calories

Muscle’s effect on our metabolism is one of the most frequently-cited benefits of gaining muscle mass, and honestly, I think it’s one of the least important. But let’s dive in, because I know you’re wondering about it.

Yes, the more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you burn, even at rest. Muscle is a metabolically “expensive” tissue, using a lot of your food as fuel, which means that you can eat more food, and thus get more vitamins, protein, fiber, and other useful nutrients. The more you burn, the better you can eat.

Every pound of muscle you gain will burn an extra 10 or so calories each day—so if you gain 10 pounds of muscle over the course of a few years’ strength training, you’re burning an extra 100 calories each day. This may not make a huge contribution to your daily calorie burn, but it’s something. What’s less appreciated is that the more muscle you have, the more likely you are to take on harder workouts, thus burning even more calories. 

I burn about 500 more calories each day now than I did years ago, when I was sedentary, and I certainly haven’t gained 50 pounds of muscle. But the more muscle you have, the more work you can do, and that snowballs. Remember, exercise is good for your health, so the more of it your body can handle, the healthier your heart and your metabolism can become.

Muscle benefits your health even if you don’t lose weight

Losing weight is often said to benefit our health, especially for people who have diabetes, other health conditions, and/or a high BMI. Losing weight can be tough, though, and gaining muscle can help those same health outcomes whether you end up losing weight or not. 

For example, this study found that having more muscle mass is associated with lower mortality rates, lower body fat, and a lower likelihood of having diabetes. People with high BMIs and high muscle mass were, in this study, healthier than people who had similarly high BMIs but low muscle mass. 

So even if gaining muscle doesn’t come with reduced body fat, it’s still helping you to be healthier. The researchers also speculate that some of the health outcomes we associate with high body fat may actually have more to do with low muscle mass.

Muscle keeps us in better shape as we age

It’s dangerous to be weak and frail as you age. An extreme loss of muscle mass is called sarcopenia, and it’s a known factor in all kinds of things you want to avoid. The less muscle mass you have, the greater your risk of falls, fractures, being unable to live independently, and generally poorer health. Older adults with less muscle are more likely to die when they have conditions like kidney disease and heart failure, and they may have a harder time withstanding treatments like chemotherapy. 

This isn’t just an issue for the grey-haired crowd: We lose 3-8% of our muscle every decade starting around age 30, if we don’t train to keep it. The rate of loss typically speeds up after age 60—but, again, people who strength train tend to hang onto their muscle. You might even build more than you had in your youth. 

Even if you haven’t hit age 30, think of yourself as putting muscle in the bank that you can use later. Somebody who is strong at age 25 is building the muscle (and the habits that keep them exercising!) that will keep them from being frail at age 75.

Strength training improves bone density

Besides sarcopenia, osteoporosis (a loss of bone mineral density) also contributes to the risk of devastating fractures and to a loss of independence, especially as we age. Muscle loss and bone density loss have been referred to as “musculoskeletal aging,” and it’s at least partially preventable with strength training. 

Bone grows stronger when you put stress on it, which is why “weight bearing” activities are commonly recommended for people at risk of osteoporosis. That doesn’t refer specifically to weight training, but rather to activities where you’re supporting your own weight. Walking, running, and jumping are weight bearing. Swimming is not.

But weight training does also improve bone density. Unless you’re great at walking or even jumping on your hands (which, I must note, requires a lot of strength and muscle), a good way to get healthy stress on the bones of your upper body is to do plenty of resistance training. That could include training with barbells, dumbbells, resistance machines, or other tools. 

Strong muscles may prevent injury

Injury prevention is a big and nebulous topic, so it’s hard to point at specific evidence that strength training in general reduces injuries in general. But ask any good coach, or any good physical therapist, and they’ll tell you that they encourage their players and patients to build strength to prevent injuries and to recover from them when they happen. 

Strength training gives you stronger muscles, bones, and connective tissue like tendons. In a sports context, stronger athletes seem to be more resistant to injury. And even in everyday life—let’s say a person who might slip and fall—being strong and agile makes it easier to avoid unexpected obstacles. You may also have an easier time catching yourself when you begin to fall. 

There’s also evidence that exercise, including strength training, is a useful tool in managing back pain, arthritis, and other conditions. 

Muscle makes you better at running, yoga, and other activities

Maybe you’re cool with exercise, but still a bit skeptical of the benefits of strength training specifically. You just want to run the trails, take a barre class, maybe do some yoga. Well, muscle helps with those things, too. 

If you’re a runner, for example, strength training helps to prevent injuries (including those nagging “overuse” injuries like shin splints and achy knees). More muscle in your legs also means a better ability to run up the hills of those trails and dodge rocks and tree roots on the way down. Stronger runners tend to be better runners.

Or let’s say you’re more into yoga. More strength and muscle will help you to be able to do more advanced poses, to do the medium-difficulty ones more confidently, and to do the easy ones with true ease. Or to put it another way: nobody ever thinks, in the middle of a yoga class, “I wish I had less core strength.” 

You get the idea. Rock climbing is more fun when you’ve got more upper body muscle. Cycling is more fun when you have powerful legs. Even outside the formal sports world, muscle helps you to carry mulch in your garden, to load your suitcase overhead without endangering your fellow airplane passengers, to help a friend move without spending the next two days on the couch popping Advil. So when you notice your body gaining a little bit of muscle, just think of all the opportunities it opens for you—not just how it looks.

A home gym can be anything you want it to be—even a yoga mat in a corner of your bedroom counts. But if you’d like to build out a full-featured home gym, here are some tips (and my picks for equipment) to get you started. Because ultimately, while fancy equipment is nice, you want a home gym you’ll actually use.

Start slowly rather than buying everything at once

First, don’t think you have to buy everything at once. If you have a limited budget, just pick up the essentials, rather than trying to hunt down every component of your dream gym right now at rock-bottom prices. You can always add to it as you go.

If that means you have to go without a particular item for a while, that's OK: Cheap gym gear isn’t always bad, but there’s a lot of stuff out there that’s not built well, or that’s so gimmicky it isn’t worth it, and you'll be better off waiting until your budget allow you to buy the right thing. For example, you’ll be a lot more likely to use a normal spin bike like this $369 Sunny than this $58 folding gadget that doesn’t have a comfortable seat or offer any serious resistance.

Sunny Health & Fitness Indoor Stationary Cycling Exercise Bike, Cardio Workout for Home, Digital Monitor, Pulse Sensor, with Optional Cadence Sensor and SunnyFit App Enhanced Bluetooth Connectivity

$369.00

$399.00 Save $30.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$369.00

$399.00 Save $30.00

So if you don’t have a huge budget, build out your home gym in pieces. Maybe buy a bar and weights now, a squat rack and bench later, and a cardio machine next year. This lets you choose better quality stuff at each stage, and also gives you time to look for sales and find good deals on used gear.

Designate a space and choose the right flooring

Your home gym could be a part of one room, or it can take up an entire basement or garage. Outdoor gyms are also absolutely an option, as long as you make sure your stuff can stand up to the elements. (Consider some kind of roof for your outdoor space, and/or storing your things indoors when not in use.) 

In a typical garage gym, you’ll want some durable flooring that isn’t going to develop dents if you drop a deadlift. A platform made of multiple thicknesses of plywood is a great idea; the wood distributes the impact along a larger area than just where the weight hits. 

Whether you use a wooden platform or not, you’ll probably want some rubber flooring. Skip those cheap foam tiles that are sometimes advertised as home gym flooring (they don’t last, and are better suited to a playroom for your kids) and treat yourself to some horse stall mats. Yes, the classic choice here is literally the same thing people use in horse stalls. You can buy them from places like Tractor Supply for about $50 for a 4x6 foot mat. These are what I have in my home gym: several in the garage making a more or less wall-to-wall floor covering, and then two more out in the driveway for when I do lifts outdoors. I even drive over them, and they’re fine. 

Get a good squat rack

If you train with barbells, don’t cut corners: Get yourself a nice squat rack, not just one of those bench press stations with the bench attached. (You will not be able to use it safely for squats or overhead presses, no matter how hard you try. Sorry.)

Make sure your rack has actual safeties or spotter arms. A lot of budget squat stands (like these) have a tiny little nub that the manufacturer implies you can use to set the bar down…sometime, somehow. That’s not good enough. The safeties on a squat rack are there for when you have 300 pounds on your back, you can’t make it up from your last rep, and you need to get out from under the bar ASAP. You’re not going to carefully set the bar down on a six-inch long shelf, even if the manufacturer calls it something like a “security structure.” 

(That said, you can just drop the bar onto the floor if your space and equipment allow, and if you’re comfortable with that maneuver. I do it all the time at my weightlifting gym. But in the confined space of a garage gym, I far prefer having a rack with good safeties.)

With a lot of racks, the safeties or spotter arms are sold separately. Make sure to budget for that if needed.

Titan Fitness TITAN Series Flip-Down Safety Bars, 36" Depth Spotter Arms, Rated 3,000 LB, Safety Bars for 3"x3" Uprights with Plastic Liner Protection, Spotter Arms for Squat Rack

$159.99

Get Deal

Get Deal

$159.99

Get a real barbell

A lot of weight sets marketed for home gyms are too small, too flimsy, too much of a pain in the butt to use, or aren’t expandable beyond the weights that come in the box. For example, this is technically a barbell, but once you can lift more than 54 pounds it will be of no use to you at all, and suddenly you’re out $129 and have to go barbell shopping again. 

Instead, look for barbells that are listed as “Olympic” (this means they have a normal two-inch sleeve, to match a two-inch hole in the plates). Get one that is a regular, seven-foot-long, 20-kilogram (or 45-pound) barbell. If you want an ez-curl bar or some other specialty bar, that can be a secondary purchase for later.

The only time I’d recommend getting anything other than a normal 20 kg bar as your workhorse is if you do a lot of snatches (hello, weightlifters and Crossfitters) and prefer a 15 kg  women’s bar. 

Make sure you get enough plates

When it comes to loading up that bar, you'll need a reasonable amount of weight. I’d say a basic starter set should include: 

• At least one pair of 45-pound plates (you can buy more later as you get stronger)

• A pair of 25-pound plates

• A pair of 10-pound plates

• Two pairs of 5-pound plates

• A pair of 2.5-pound plates

• Optionally, a pair of 1.25-pound plates.

The two pairs of 5-pound plates are so you can make every reasonable weight jump from 45 pounds on up. If you only had one, you’d have no way to load 85 pounds. It’s actually okay to get either two pairs of 5-pound plates or two pairs of 10-pound plates; the plate math works out the same but the 5-pounders are usually cheaper.

Don’t bother with 35-pound plates, by the way. You can just load a 25 and a 10. 

If you want to do Olympic lifts or if you like to drop your deadlifts, consider buying bumper plates rather than iron ones. These are a consistent diameter no matter the weight, and they’re safe to drop (even from overhead) so long as your floor is reasonably sturdy. 

Buy enough dumbbells

It’s okay to skip the barbells (for now, at least) and build a dumbbell-based home gym. Just make sure you get enough weight. You’ll outgrow a pair of 25-pound dumbbells pretty quickly, for example. If you’re a beginner or a smaller person, dumbbells that go up to 50 pounds will be enough for a while. If you’re bigger or more experienced, you’ll want to look at sets that go up to somewhere around 100 each.

Adjustable dumbbells are a popular option to save space, but the good ones are often expensive. Watch for sales—they’re often available at deep discounts on big sale days like Black Friday. 

PowerBlock Elite EXP Adjustable Dumbbells, Sold in Pairs, Stage 1, 5-50 lb. Dumbbells, Durable Steel Build, Innovative Workout Equipment, All-in-One Dumbbells, Expandable with Expansion Kits

$287.98

$449.99 Save $162.01

Get Deal

Get Deal

$287.98

$449.99 Save $162.01

If you’re building your gym piecemeal, you may prefer traditional rubber dumbbells; buy some now that meet your current needs, and then add to your collection as you get stronger. Whichever you choose, do yourself a favor and get a nice rack to hold the dumbbells. 

Finally, there’s the other type of adjustable—the old school way of just loading your barbell plates onto a set of handles. If you choose this option, you’ll want a decent sized collection of five- and 10-pound weights (in multiples of four) and you probably won’t want to load anything bigger in diameter than a 25-pound iron plate. This is the cheapest and most versatile option, but probably the least enjoyable to use.

Consider a cardio machine

If you can’t afford a cardio machine yet, lace up your shoes and go for a jog (or put on some music and dance). But pretty soon you’ll find yourself wondering if you couldn’t just stay indoors on rainy or cold or sweltering days. If that option is calling you, treat yourself to a nice cardio machine. 

A spin bike would be my pick, but if you’re a runner, you might get more mileage (metaphorically) out of a decent treadmill. Remember to check the specs: some cheap treadmills don’t have a powerful enough motor to let you run at a reasonable speed, and are really just for walking. 

Here are some picks to get you started: 

• For a bike: here’s a solid Sunny ($369), or shell out for a Peloton (currently $1,200).

• For a treadmill: try the NordicTrack T Series ($599)

• For a rower: you can’t beat a Concept2 ($1,299).

Choose the extras you’ll actually use

When it comes to bonus items like bands, kettlebells, sliders, and all the rest, keep the same strategies in mind. Buy the things you know you’ll use (or that you’re willing to put energy into learning) and aim for decent quality stuff rather than whatever looks like it offers the coolest gimmick or that folds up the smallest. 

If you like calisthenics and bodyweight moves, you’ll definitely want a pullup bar, whether that’s something you bolt to the wall, slip over a doorframe, or install on your squat rack. Gymnastics rings would be another good purchase. A bench (adjustable or flat) is a natural purchase for anyone who loves to bench press. 

One last thought on these smaller items: They’ll often be the first things you pick up when you step into the gym. I like to warm up with a kettlebell, and do some band pull-aparts before beginning my barbell workout. Having some things you can start using immediately—without having to load or adjust anything—can make a home gym a lot more welcoming.

If you’re a beginner runner, you’ve probably heard the advice that you’re running too fast and you need to slow the heck down. I’ve told you this. Our resident marathoner Meredith Dietz has told you this. But today I’d like to present the counterpoint: all the ways that running fast—maybe even “too fast”—can benefit you. 

Why everybody says you should run slower

To recap, everybody tells beginner runners to slow down because most beginners haven’t yet figured out how to run easy. Easy pace runs are the bread-and-butter of training. They're low-fatigue and allow us to accumulate more mileage each week than if we were always pushing the pace.

If the only speed you know is an all-out sprint, you’ll never find your easy pace. You’ll never figure out how to jog. You’ll spend every run gasping for breath, and you’ll increase your chances of experiencing shin splints and a sense of dread at the thought of your next run. 

Those points aren’t wrong, they’re just not the whole picture. You should definitely work on finding your slower paces, and aim for most of your runs to feel easy-ish rather than treating every one of them like a breakneck race. But now that we have that caveat out of the way, let’s talk about why faster running also has its place. 

Garmin Forerunner 55, GPS Running Watch with Daily Suggested Workouts, Up to 2 weeks of Battery Life, Black - 010-02562-00

$177.88

$199.99 Save $22.11

Get Deal

Get Deal

$177.88

$199.99 Save $22.11

You need to run, not just shuffle

If your running pace is really slow—let’s say 13 to 15 minutes per mile, or around 4 m.p.h. on a treadmill—you’re doing a great job at keeping your overall effort easy, and that’s a huge accomplishment. 

But look at how you’re moving: Your feet are moving in sort of a slow shuffle, rather than a sprightly run. Now, shuffling isn’t bad—every ultramarathoner counts it among their trustiest paces—it just shouldn’t be the only type of running you do. 

After all, running is a skill that takes practice, not just a source of zone 2 aerobic stimulus. When you’re a little bit faster and fitter, you can check both boxes at once. But until then, try to mix in some faster running, even if it comes in small doses. 

Try strides: A “stride” is a very short interval where the idea is to move your feet quickly, and then slow down and stop before you’ve done enough work to get tired. You could do this at the end of a run, or even in the middle to break up the monotony. Accelerate to a fast pace, hold it for just a few seconds, and then slow to a stop. Rest a minute or two before going again. As running coach Jason Fitzgerald told us, “strides are a wonderful way of practicing running fast without making that fast running difficult.” 

Intervals build fitness, too

Steady, slow-paced runs are great for building your aerobic fitness, but they’re not the only way. Tons of studies (and plenty of real-world experience) support the idea that interval work helps beginner and intermediate runners to get faster. To do intervals, you alternate working hard (a fast run) with easy work like walking or even complete rest. 

Some running coaches advise that beginners should get some experience under their belt before scheduling in structured intervals. But that’s not a universal sentiment: others believe that intervals can be added at any time, so long as you start with small doses. 

Try these: Here are some interval schemes that have been shown in research to benefit beginner and intermediate runners. Either set up an interval timer app, or go old school and just watch the clock. Take at least five minutes to warm up, and then dedicate the next 10 or 20 minutes to one of the following:

• 30-20-10: Walk (or jog very slowly) for 30 seconds, then run at a medium pace for 20 seconds, then run fast for the last 10. Note that each round will take you exactly one minute. Do five, then rest for two minutes, and repeat as many times as you like.

• 30/30s: This one is even simpler: 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds rest, repeat. After several rounds, take a few minutes’ break. (Experienced athletes will do 8-10 rounds, and then repeat this block multiple times; feel free to start with fewer.) 

• Short “VO2max” intervals: Traditionally, intervals focused on improving your VO2max (one measure of cardio fitness) are three to five minutes, with an equal amount of rest. But you can also improve your VO2max with shorter intervals, like one minute on/one minute off. Ten one-minute intervals will take you 20 minutes; again, feel free to start with fewer. 

The key with all of these is not to run all-out during the work segments, but to hold back a bit, knowing that you’ll only get a short rest before going again. The first few intervals should feel like they’re almost too easy; by the end, you’ll be feeling them a lot more. 

You’re allowed to have fun

Running slow can be frustrating and boring. (That is, I think, the main reason why it’s so hard to learn to run slow in the first place.) All the focus on zone 2, and easy running, and building your aerobic base and all that jazz, leaves out the fact that it’s fun to run fast. 

You’re allowed to have fun. You don’t have to “earn” the right to run fast by achieving a certain cardio fitness level. You certainly don’t have to spend every run with your eyes glued to your watch, policing your heart rate or your mile pace. 

Try fartleks: The word is Swedish for “speed play,” but I’ll understand if you take it to mean, “lick my farts, I’m going to do what I want.” The only rule for a fartlek run is that there are no rules. Want to charge uphill and jog down? Or walk up because you’re tired, and run down because wheeeeeee? All fair game. If you use Strava, look up a few local “segments,” which are short bits of road where people unofficially race each other. Get to the start of the segment any way you like, then speed to the finish. Even if you don’t crack your local top 10, you can still see how you fared relative to your own previous performances. Whatever approach you choose, have fun with it.

Putting it all together

You don’t have to do all of these faster workouts, and you definitely don’t need to dump the slower runs. To build your fitness, try to keep at least half of your training at an easy-enough effort that you could keep up a conversation without getting out of breath. But it’s fine to include some of these ways of running faster, whether that’s a few strides at the end of an easy run, or a dedicated interval day. 

And finally, it’s fine to alternate between walking and running for any run, so long as you’re also working on the ability to keep up a steady pace. If you have to walk/run on those “easy run” days, aim to keep the running slow and the walking brisk; over time, they will meld together into a single, easier pace.

Cardio and weights are both key components of any fitness program, whether you’re trying to stay healthy, lose weight, or excel in athletic competition. But how do you combine the two? That’s the question we’re tackling today—and I’m sorry to say that the answer is “it depends.” 

Is it OK to train strength and cardio together? 

For most people, it doesn’t really matter whether you train strength and cardio in the same session, in different sessions on the same day, or on different days throughout the week. If you have a routine that fits your life, you’re better off than somebody who keeps trying and failing to do the “optimal” thing. As I’ve written before, optimal is optional. 

But to give you some general tips: 

• If you’re trying to be really good at one type of fitness, your most important workouts should get their own dedicated time. 

• Strength and cardio can interfere slightly with each other if you do them in the same session. If you have the time budget for two-a-days, you might want to do one workout in the morning and the other in the evening, rather than trying to do both at the same time. 

• If you’re trying to be good at a type of fitness that combines strength and cardio (like Crossfit, or many team sports), it’s okay to combine them most of the time. You may still want to do some focused weights-only or cardio-only sessions. 

• If you’re just trying to stay healthy or lose weight, go ahead and do your workouts whenever you can. If you don’t end up gaining quite as much strength as an elite powerlifter, I’m guessing you’ll be fine with that.

Why you might want to do strength training first

You’ll be fresh for your strength work

To get the most out of strength training, you’ll want to show up ready to put in some serious work. For the same reason we rest several minutes between sets, we also don’t want to show up to a strength workout already pooped from a long session on the exercise bike. 

If you’re fatigued at the start of a strength session, you won’t be able to lift as much weight. You also might find yourself more likely to get bored or tired and say “fuck it” and go home. Starting your strength workouts fresh will help you to get the best strength and/or muscle gains for your effort.

Easy cardio doesn’t suffer (much) at the end of a workout

You might think the argument for showing up fresh would apply to all workouts, but that’s not really the case. A lot of your cardio should be fairly low intensity stuff (that “zone 2” you keep hearing about) and it’s not a big deal to do zone 2 work when you’re already fatigued. 

Let’s say you aren’t up for a strong running performance after you’ve finished five sets of heavy squats. So what? You can do an easy jog, or even a brisk walk, and still get in a perfectly good zone 2 cardio workout. 

If you’re a strength athlete, you’ll want to get right to the point

I hate a lengthy warmup, and maybe you do, too. If you’re more of a strength training person, it may feel better to treat your cardio as an afterthought, something that gets done after your real work for the day. Instead of hopping on the bike and wondering how much cardio might affect your day’s workout, you can sit on the bike after you’ve done your squats for the day, and pedal away mindlessly without worrying about performance. 

Why you might want to do cardio first

You have a hard workout you want to be fresh for

While your easy cardio sessions can kind of go anywhere, most cardio-focused athletes will have key workouts that deserve their full attention and effort. If you train with weights on the same day as track intervals or a long run, you’ll definitely want the weights to come last. 

You’re getting used to a new cardio routine

Beginner runners know that running can be hard at first; the same might be true of any other form of cardio you just started doing. Showing up fatigued is not going to make these workouts any more fun. Better to get your easy run in, then follow it up with a quick strength workout, than do it the other way around and find yourself discouraged because you need to take more walk breaks than usual.

Strength work is truly an afterthought for you

If you love running (or cycling, etc) and don’t care much for lifting, your post-cardio time might be your best option for getting a lifting session in. You’ve got a bit of a mood boost going from that great run you just had, you’re nicely warmed up, and—let’s be honest—you probably won’t head to the gym just for a strength workout. 

This doesn’t describe everybody, but be honest with yourself if this sounds familiar. The risk in leaving strength work for last is that you might end up skipping it entirely. But if you need to budget the time somewhere, ask yourself if you can commit to a post-cardio strength routine twice a week or so.

How to choose whether cardio first or lifting first makes sense for you

The easiest way to choose is to do the most important workout first. Runners should usually run first, powerlifters should usually lift first, and so on. 

If you aren’t able to pick a side, another good rule of thumb is to do the hardest workout first. Deadlift day followed by an easy 20 minutes on the bike, for example; or an evening of 400 meter repeats on the track followed by a few sets of lunges and pushups. 

If you truly cannot decide, and you want me to flip a coin for you: most people should do weights first. It’s hard to get the benefits of strength training without putting effort into it, and it’s hard to put effort in when you’re fatigued. 

Is it bad to do cardio to warm up before lifting? 

A warmup of 10 minutes or so is a great way to get ready to lift, especially if it’s mostly low intensity work (in other words, it feels like a warmup) and it’s relatively short. I wouldn’t count that as a full cardio “workout,” but I would count it toward my total minutes or miles of cardio for the week. 

What if I’m super tired after my first workout? 

You should only stack workouts if you’re able to put in a good-enough effort for the second one. If your first workout leaves you exhausted, that might not be a good day to tack on a whole second workout. Consider doing that other workout on a different day, or even later the same day.

That said, try having a snack between the first and second workouts—even a sports drink or candy bar will help. Carbs (including sugar) make for an excellent energy boost during long workouts. If the first workout is long (60-90 minutes or more), carbs are likely to help. If the first workout is short but really intense (like 20 minutes), you may just need to sit around a rest a little bit before diving into the next chapter. Carbs won’t hurt in this case, though.

Should I always do my workouts in the same order? 

No, you don’t have to! It’s totally fine to swap the order as needed. For example, a weightlifter might tack on cardio after lifting most days, but then have a day that’s dedicated to cardio where they might do a few lifting accessories afterward. 

And if you have a set routine, but something disrupts it—you have to finish early to take your kid to an event, or whatever—feel free to move things around as needed so you get in as much of the important work as you can.

How much time should I wait between my workouts?

You can jump straight off the leg press machine and head to the elliptical, so there’s no minimum time. But if you find yourself scheduling separate workouts, the rule of thumb is that 6 hours gives you a decent amount of recovery time. Eat a good meal with plenty of carbs after the first workout if you can—that replenishes glycogen stores so that you’ll have more energy going into the second workout.

With some products, like phones, you have a myriad of options to sort through. But if you want to buy one of Peloton's spin bikes, you only have two choices: the Bike or the Bike+ (pronounced “bike plus”). That little “+” costs an extra thousand dollars, so is it really worth it? Let’s dive in. 

Overview of the important features

I’ll go over the details below, but here’s the short answer: if you just want “a Peloton,” the regular Bike is the original. It’s the one most people have, it’s cheaper, and it does the job just fine. I have a regular Bike and I’ve never felt like I’m missing out. The regular price for a Bike is $1,445, but with a good sale you can find it closer to $1,000. If you're willing to look at used models, they can often be had in the mid to high triple digits.

Original Peloton Bike | Indoor Stationary Exercise Bike with Immersive 22" HD Touchscreen (Updated Seat Post)

$1,250.00

$1,445.00 Save $195.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$1,250.00

$1,445.00 Save $195.00

The Bike+ costs significantly more, so what are you paying for? The tech components are nicer, so the on-screen experience will feel a bit faster and smoother. Other than that, the big features are auto-resistance (the bike will follow along with classes without you having to turn the knob) and a swiveling screen so you can turn it to the side for things like strength workouts and guided yoga sessions. List price on the Bike+ is $2,495, with deals sometimes bringing it as low as $1,995. Refurbished and used models will, of course, cost a bit less.

Peloton Bike+ | Indoor Stationary Exercise Bike with 24” HD, Anti-Reflective Rotating Touchscreen

$2,100.00

$2,495.00 Save $395.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$2,100.00

$2,495.00 Save $395.00

What’s the same between the Bike and the Bike+

Most of the differences between the two bikes are tech-related, and we’ll get into those in a minute. But first, you should know what’s the same between the two bikes. 

First, they’re the same size. Both have the same footprint, 4 feet by 2 feet—Peloton recommends that you allow 24 inches on each side of the bike, and that you put it in an area with at least 8-foot-high ceilings. This allows even tall riders to be able to stand up and pedal. (If you don’t care about standing, or if you’re shorter, you might be able to squeeze into a tighter space. I’m 5’6” and never had an issue with my attic’s 7-foot ceilings.)

The controls and the frame are the same, with the exception that the original Bike had a seat post recall, and the Bike+ did not. (If you’re buying used, make sure that the seat post was replaced.) Both have a hard wired 3.5mm headphone jack, although it’s probably more common to use the onboard speakers or a bluetooth headset rather than plugging in a pair of headphones.  

Both flavors of bike can accommodate a rider who is anywhere between 4’11” and 6’4” and weighs up to 297 pounds. The Bike itself weighs 135 pounds, and the Bike+ weighs 140, due mainly to the hefty flywheel (with spin bikes, the heavier the flywheel, the better).

Both the Bike and Bike+ have access to the same subscription options. For the $44/month All-Access subscription, you get: 

• Classes on the bike—these are the classic offering, with a charismatic instructor leading you through a structured workout (and often peppering it with motivational speeches).

• Scenic rides on the bike, with “Peloton radio” for music (I usually mute it and just play my own music from my phone).

• Lanebreak (a sort of ride-along video game) on the bike.

• Access to classes through the Peloton app on your phone.

• The ability to create multiple profiles for family members, so you can all share the bike without additional subscriptions.

Besides cycling classes, the bikes and the app can also provide follow-along classes for strength, stretching, yoga, and more. You can take bike classes on the phone app as well, a handy feature when you have access to a spin bike but it’s not a Peloton (for example, at a gym). 

Now that we know what’s the same, let’s dig into the differences.

The Bike+ has a swiveling screen, but don’t buy it just for that

The first thing you’ll notice about the Bike+ (and arguably its only visually distinctive feature) is the fact that its screen is on a swivel. This lets you set up a space next to the bike, perhaps with a mat and dumbbells, to do other types of workouts. Hop off the Bike+, point the screen toward your mat, and you can do a yoga class without having to crane your neck to see over the seat. 

The screen on the regular Bike doesn’t swivel, but it does tilt. This lets you adjust it for the most comfortable angle or to avoid glare while you’re riding. If you want that swiveling feature, though, you don’t have to pony up an extra grand for a whole new bike—an aftermarket swivel mount is only about 50 smackers.

TFD The Pivot for Peloton Bikes (Original Models), Made in USA | 360° Movement Monitor Adjuster - Easily Adjust & Rotate Your Peloton Screen | Peloton Accessories

$49.99

$54.99 Save $5.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$49.99

$54.99 Save $5.00

The Bike+ has auto-resistance and a real power meter

If the Bike+ has a killer feature, it’s this. When an instructor tells you to set your resistance to 30, you don’t need to touch the knob—the Bike+ will adjust the resistance for you. 

You can turn this feature on or off during a ride by tapping the lock icon next to the resistance numbers. On regular rides, the Bike+ will adjust the resistance whenever the instructor announces that the resistance is changing; on power zone rides, it will adjust as needed to keep you in your power zone. 

The catch is that auto-resistance only works for rides where “target metrics” are programmed. This includes most rides from Peloton’s back catalog, but it does not include rides where you’re following along with an instructor in real time. After those live rides, Peloton will add the target metrics, but they say it can take up to 24 hours for that feature to become available for a given ride. 

The Bike+ also has a power meter built in, so that it can tell exactly how many watts your output is. (The regular Bike will show you an estimated wattage, but Bikes can become miscalibrated and the wattage may be off.) While you can calibrate a regular Bike, the Bike+ always knows how hard you are actually pedaling, and you may appreciate this extra accuracy.

The Bike+ has better quality tech in its tablet

The screen on the front of your Bike or Bike+ isn’t just a screen; it’s a whole tablet computer with its own processor, RAM, and other electronic components. An under-appreciated part of the Bike+ upgrade is just that everything in the tablet is nicer, better, and faster. The screen itself is larger: a 23.8” diagonal instead of 21.5”. The Bike+ also has:

• 4 gigabytes of RAM instead of just two

• A 2.5 gigahertz Qualcomm processor instead of a 2.0 GHz Mediatek

• A 26-watt sound system with front- and rear-facing speakers instead of a 16-watt system with just rear-facing speakers

• Bluetooth 5.0 instead of 4.0

• A USB-C port so you can charge your devices while you ride (the regular Bike has a charging port, but it’s micro-USB, so most of us would need to get an adapter).

• A smudge-proof, reduced-reflection coating on that big ol' screen.

There are also two features that are better on paper but that won’t matter to most of us. First, the Bike+ supports GymKit, a protocol for connecting your Apple Watch to the Bike+ for heart rate data. (They briefly stopped supporting GymKit, since there’s a Peloton Apple Watch app that does most of what GymKit does, but got enough complaints that they brought it back.)  

Second, the Bike+ has a nicer selfie camera, 8 MP versus 5 MP (and a privacy cover for said camera). Wait, the Peloton has a camera?? I hear you say. Yep, and according to Peloton its only use is for taking a selfie to use as your profile picture. (You can also just take a photo on your phone and add it to your profile through the app.) That said, Peloton users have said they’ve used the camera for video chat—but nobody seems to actually like that feature.

Ultimately, these features mean that your experience will be just a little bit faster and smoother. Some Peloton riders say that the nicer tech means that Lanebreak is less likely to have that occasional lag when you change “lanes” during the ride, and that the interface is just generally a bit more responsive.

The bottom line: Peloton Bike vs. Bike+

The Bike is a solid choice that will fulfill pretty much all your Peloton dreams. The Bike+ has some features that are nice-to-haves. 

Buy the Bike if: 

• You just want a dang Peloton.

• You don’t want to pay an extra $1,050 for minor upgrades.

Buy the Bike+ if: 

• You want the fastest and smoothest tech experience.

• You’d like the Bike to adjust itself during (most) classes.

• You’re a numbers nerd and want to know your exact wattage and know that the bike is perfectly calibrated.

Ultimately, both are good choices. The exact price differential between the two models will depend on whether you can find your chosen bike on sale, used, or as a rental (I crunch the numbers for those scenarios here).

There are plenty of reasons to buy shoes at your local running store instead of online or at a big box store, including a more knowledgeable staff and the fact that you’re supporting your local running community. But another biggie is the fact that many will take returns even after you’ve gone for a few runs in your shoes.

In case you don’t have a local store with this policy, it’s good to know that some larger brands and online stores will also take returns of lightly-worn shoes. Fleet Feet and Running Warehouse are among the bigger stores that offer this perk; some online running shoe stores will include it as part of a membership (like Roadrunner). But several running shoe brands offer a no-questions-asked return policy themselves, so if you know that you love (say) Nikes, you can buy from the brand directly.

Do not feel bad about taking advantage of this policy. The whole idea is that you can trust your body to tell you whether the shoes are working, rather than stressing during a brief try-on about whether you think these shoes will work for you. If you can't help but feel guilty, you can make it up by buying your next new pair of shoes from the same place. They do it because they're trying to win you as a loyal customer.

Adidas asks for shoes to be unworn for most returns, but it has a separate policy for its "performance" running shoes, which include all its popular running shoes, from the $65 Runfalcon on up.

Altra prominently advertises "30 day trial runs, guaranteed." It ships a return label with your shoes and allows returns "for any reason" during those 30 days.

Brooks will accept returns within 90 days, even if you’ve run in the shoes: "Run in it, sweat in it, inside, outside, in the rain - if it doesn’t perform the way it should, send it back."

Hoka has a 30-day return policy (60 days for members), even if you've worn the shoes. "Try them out, that's what our 30-day Guarantee is all about."

Newton accepts returns within 30 days "for any reason with as much or as little wear and tear on them" as they happen to have.

Nike will let you return shoes, even if they’ve been worn, within 60 days of purchase. It specifically says you can return shoes, including custom sneakers, "for any reason" within that time period. There are exceptions, including items purchased at Nike Clearance stores.

Please note that policies can change, and that they often vary by country. Customer service staff can sometimes help you out even if you fall outside the official policy, but don't count on it. Still, if you’ve bought shoes, run in them, and weren’t happy, it can’t hurt to ask.

You’ve probably heard the advice that running shoes are only good for about 300 to 500 miles, and after that, the cushioning is so broken down that they’re an injury waiting to happen. But that’s not always true, and there are more ways to figure out when to throw out your shoes than just counting the miles.

How do running shoes break down?

When you put in the miles, your shoes undergo wear and tear. The first thing you’ll notice is that the tread on the bottom wears down, but that’s okay; there should be more than enough rubber under your feet to last the lifetime of the shoe.

Another place you’ll see visible wear is on the upper. Maybe you tend to get a hole in the toe box where your big toenail rubs; maybe you run on trails and tend to scuff up the sides. But these scrapes are usually a cosmetic issue, not a functional one. You can patch them up or just run in them despite the holes.

What really matters is the cushioning on the inside. It gets compressed with every step, and the more it gets squished, the less it bounces back. There will come a time in the life of every running shoe when it provides substantially less cushioning than it did when it was new. That’s when it’s arguably time to replace them.

How fast do running shoes break down?

The “300 to 500 miles” rule benefits running companies, since it requires you to replace your shoes while they still might look like new. But it’s true: 300 to 500 miles really is the range where cushioning tends to reach the end of its useful life.

That said, a lot of different factors are at work here besides just mileage—the runner's weight, for instance. If you’re a heavier runner, your shoes will wear out faster. And if you’re a lighter one, you may get more mileage out of your shoes than you’d otherwise expect.

Another factor is how the shoes are made. Some shoes are more durable and will last well beyond 500 miles. Others are light and flimsy to start with, and you might be lucky to break 300. I sometimes buy kids’ running shoes if I can find them in a size that fits me, but they tend to be less sturdy and their cushioning doesn’t last as long.

How long can you wear your old running shoes?

I remember running in the same pair of Nikes for literal years without issue. I bought them around the time that barefoot running and minimalist shoes were all the rage, and in fact I bought them because they had less cushioning than other models—so I figured that if I wanted the least cushioning possible, why would I worry about replacing shoes just because the cushioning was wearing down?

I did eventually get a new pair for other reasons, but the logic is sound: If you don’t need the extra cushioning, and your beat-up shoes are still comfortable, you can keep running in them for as long as they feel good.

On the other hand, not all shoes break down uniformly. I’ve had shoes where one sole starts to feel a bit lumpy or weird, and that can definitely lead to discomfort (or potentially even injury) over time. The most recent models of my favorite Nikes (the Free Run) seem to break down quickly. I've since switched to the Downshifter, a model that fits similarly but has more durable cushioning.

Nike Womens Downshifter 12

$64.77

$69.51 Save $4.74

Learn More

Learn More

$64.77

$69.51 Save $4.74

All of this is to say: just because you can keep running in old shoes doesn’t mean you should. Your experience will vary with the brand of shoe, the age of the shoe, and other factors like how heavy you are and what kind of surfaces you run on.

When do you really need to replace your running shoes?

Runners debate this issue amongst themselves, and they don't always come to the same conclusion as the running shoe companies. For example, see this discussion in a running forum on Reddit. Some people do track their miles, but they learn from experience instead of trusting a number just because they read it on the internet somewhere. One runner says, “Yep, my running shoes become lawn mowing shoes somewhere between 700 and 800 miles.” Another uses a range of 600 to 800 kilometers (roughly 400 to 500 miles). Another gives a more detailed explanation:

Theaveragemaryjanie says: "In fact, I started going off of mileage on some brands because [a gradual pain in the knee] went from it’s fine it’s fine it’s fine to oh-my-god-my-knee-how-long-am-I-out-is-this-serious. After about three scares at near the same mileage I figured it out and now replace 50 miles sooner. I would rather buy one extra pair per year than injure myself."

Others go by feel. "I retire shoes not at a mileage but when they either don’t feel comfy to run in any more or if they fall apart," says Layric. I generally get 1,000 miles at least out of pairs. At this mileage the soles are going to be nowhere near as cushioned as when they were new but I don’t suffer any injuries keeping them going this long. I own about half a dozen pairs and rotate through them."

Rotating through a shoe collection reportedly helps to extend the life of shoes. (Pro tip: if you do this, make sure to track shoe mileage in your running app, because otherwise it will be difficult to remember how much you’ve run in each shoe.)

One redditor, MakeYourMarks, has the receipts: "The fact that you rotate them is certainly a boon to their longevity," they say. "The foam/insulation/support gets compressed from the constant banging and pressure of running. Giving them time to “rest” (fully dry out and re-expand) adds a not-insubstantial amount of life to them. I have found that I get around 500 miles of amazing cushioning out of Hokas when rotating every other day as opposed to only about 350-400 when using every day. That’s at least a 25% increase, and at $100+ for a pair of shoes, the savings add up quickly over time."

You can also combine these approaches, and rotate between an older and a newer pair of shoes. The nice thing about this approach is that you’ll be able to feel the difference between good cushioning and worn-down cushioning just by comparing the two, without having to make a trip to the shoe store. Comparing new and old shoes is my own preferred method.

Just one warning about keeping a stash in the closet: the cushioning in running shoes will break down over time, even if you haven’t run in them, so very old shoes may have a shorter lifespan from the start.